Kejriwal is supporting me, not joining AAP: Prakash Raj

Noted Bollywood actor-turned-politician Prakash Raj on Thursday said that he was not joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), thus putting to rest all speculations about him joining Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's political bandwagon.

Raj, who met Chief Minister Kejriwal here on Thursday, said: "Arvind Kejriwal and AAP are unconditionally supporting my candidature as an independent candidate from Bengaluru central Lok Sabha constituency."

"It is so nice of AAP for supporting me, without even forcing me to join the party," said Raj. "So I wanted to meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal because they have given unconditional support to my candidature as an independent," said Raj while talking to media persons after meeting the Delhi Chief Minister.

Appreciating the work done by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia in the field of education, he said: "As an urban constituency contestant, I really respect, appreciate and am inspired by the work they have done in schools and health department."

The actor defended the Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his alleged misogynist remark against Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

"He is not against women if he can appoint a transgender person on an important position. Why do you want to look at his statement only in that way? Isn't it true that PM Modi has not answered and not been to the Parliament (during debate on Rafale)? We should look at that too," added Raj.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Jaipur in Rajasthan on Wednesday had said that PM Modi had a 'Mahila' (Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman) to defend him during the debate over the Rafale deal in the Parliament, following which he faced a lot of criticism.

On the issue of 10 per cent reservation to the poor in the general category in government jobs and academic institutions, Raj said: "There are only two castes in the country-one is poor and the other is rich."

"But the present Central government's decision of giving reservation at the end of the tenure is a 'jumla' (false promise). They have promised so many things, but they have not delivered. We need to raise the standard of people's life. We welcome the reservation decision of the government but we doubt this party, and the quota decision may just be a political stunt," he added.